Bradwell

[herschel]

Been thinking about trying Bradwell out with the kids but never been there before. 

Looking for any info you might be able to offer but specifically:

Is it accessible via a truck?
Can you park and walk to good spots or do you need an ATV/Sled?

Thx

[speckspotter]

Bradwell can been accessed from the west along the canal trail, or the east just off the grid road. Driving on the ice is usuallly no problem unless there has been snow and wind. Since it is probably too early to drive on, the east side might be your best bet. A few hundred yards out should get you into fishing depth.

The reservoir is not that big. Your biggest challenge will be keeping the kids happy!

[Churchill River]

Now Speckspotter, is that a polite way of saying they might not catch many if any at all.

Herschel, Bradwell wouldn't be my first choice for taking some kids to.  If you go, there should be lot's of
people fishing or old holes out from of the pump house.  Don't try and find any deep water to fish, as I think
13 to 15ft will be the deepest.

[speckspotter]

Well CR, there have been some moments of brilliance on Bradwell...... and some pretty slow days as well.
Perhaps Herschel owns some vintage old school lure ( something like a hawger) that will make him become a new ice fishing legend.

I caught a perch there last year. One. In five different attempts. The 12.5 inch length of that single perch made it all the more frustrating.

[herschel]

First thanks for the replies.

I spend most of my time fishing north of PA but would like to find some single day options closer to Saskatoon.

Bradwell was one recommendation.  The other was Zelma.

Any thoughts to share about Zelma?
Or other recommendations?

[Churchill River]

Well Herch, myself I would stay off Zelma...hard to catch a perch.  Speckspotter had good luck with some Walleye and Pike first ice.  But as a rule
Zelma is very slow fishing.  With no perch action it is hard to keep kids interested.

Have you fished much on Blackstrap?  The perch are really hitting right now and it seems everyone is catching a far amount of walleye first ice.

People have posted on Blackstrap forum were they are catching fish.  Find 20 to 24 fow and move around until you find them.  You will see by the 100's of holes in the areas  Some perch action will keep the kids interested at least. 

For people that only get a chance to get out two or three times a year vs some of us that get out two or three times a week, every week it might be
hit and miss on finding the fish.  Even myself will have a couple of really bad bad days each winter. 

I am sure most of us on ice shanty will advise you to try Blackstrap vs Zelma/Bradwell.

[speckspotter]

An interesting few hours spent on Bradwell today. I went in search of big perch, but instead found some cooperative walleye. After being bitten off by an aggressive mark, I brought a walleye to the hole but it spit the hook and made a clean getaway. The alternate holes all showed marks but no bites. Finally i rediscovered the original hole having lost it in the falling snow. Two were caught with two others lost on the way up. It was a late afternoon bite; very subtle, but the flasher gave fair warning. 8 inches of ice, .5 km out from shore.

[shawno]

Nice work speckspotter and thanks for the ice report. Haven’t been out to Bradwell in a couple winters now. Glad to hear it was a decent outing for you.

[speckspotter]

Here is a Bradwell update. I fished it two evenings running, walking in from the west. The flasher has indicated more marks for me this year than in previous seasons. Two nights ago I lost two before they got up the hole. Both were heavier fish. I iced a walleye that would have embarrassed a good sized perch and finished by landing a 23 inch, 4.2 pound walleye.

Tonight I was broken off by something that gave me a two minute battle (I'm guessing a good sized pike). My buddy caught two nice walleye one just under and one just over two pounds. I landed one more walleye of similar size.

Overall, it has been pretty decent for only spending a couple hours at the end of a beautiful day. No perch have been caught yet, but they have to be in there.

[jjy]

Hi Speckspotter,

How far did you walk from the west of the shore? I am planning to go on Monday.

Thank you!

[speckspotter]

We were in 10 - 12 FOW. There were other folks fishing on the far East side, but I don't know how they made out.

Good Luck.

[jjy]

Thanks for the infor, Speckspotter.

Were you there at sunrise or sunset?

Thanks!

[speckspotter]

Day's end.

On Friday the marks got aggressive once the sun was down. Yesterday, my friend caught his two before 4:30 and the marks dried up around a half hour after sunset. I will be trying the early bite this week just to compare.

[jjy]

Hi Speckspotter,

Have you tried in the morning? I did not have much luck at sunset.

[speckspotter]

Not yet JJY. Blackstrap beckons today and I have a powerful hankering for a feed of Frank's Hot Sauce perch bites.

I will post when I have a morning report for Bradwell.

[speckspotter]

Very slow for us on Bradwell this evening. One legitimate bite among three of us. Plenty of big marks that just stared at the lures and a few light pecks. Strangely, the walleye that did bite could not be released because the hook was taken so deeply.

As for the good news, I measured 13 inches of ice. A couple more evenings and it will be time to drive on the smaller water bodies. Drive carefully that is.

[crush23]

@speckspotter have you been out lately? Just wondering on ice conditions and what the bite is like?

[speckspotter]

I tried it a few days before Christmas. The ice was probably between 17 and 18 inches thick. I drove on thinking how nice it was to be able to spin out for a quick fish and drive to the spot. Then I realized I had left the electronics charging on the bench at home. I had to fish "old school".

I was fishing one hole with a dead stick nearby. Two bumps and three bites, all right around sunset. I lost two at the bottom of the ice hole, and one felt pretty heavy.

I am probably heading out there this afternoon. I will put down a camera this time to see what things look like.

[speckspotter]

Lots of folks on the ice today. Someone else was parked on my old holes, but that's what I get for showing up late. The fish weren't feeling sorry for me either. No marks. Nothing on the camera where I set up except a lot of water bugs.